April 8/Food Business Week -- "Sucralose used at 0.025% level in burfi scored highest in sweetness perception and resembled control with sucrose. A simple method was developed for the isolation of sucralose from burfi for HPTLC analysis," scientists in Karnal, India report.

"Methods were also standardized for qualitative detection (semi-quantification) of sucralose over amino HPTLC plates and quantitative analysis over silica gel HPTLC plates. Sucralose sweetened burfi (SSB) possessed the same desirable sweetness, colour, body and texture even after seven days of storage at 6-8 degrees C. Titratable acidity was higher in sucralose sweetened burfi than in control sample. Hunter, color lightness was lower in control with sucrose than in SSB. Total plate counts were higher in SSB than in control. Total plate counts increased linearly for both SSB and control during storage," wrote S. Arora and colleagues.

The researchers concluded, "Analysis over HPTLC plates established the stability of sucralose and, hence, its sweetness on storage of burfi."

Arora and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Food Science and Technology - Mysore ("Analysis of Sucralose and Its Storage Stability in Burfi." Journal of Food Science and Technology - Mysore, 2009;46(2):114-117).

For more information, contact S. Arora, National Dairy Research Institute, Division Dairy Chemical, Karnal 132001, Haryana, India.

From the April 13, 2009, Prepared Foods E-dition